


afterthought

by egocentric (orphan_account)



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Death, Half a ventfic, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Persons, Repetition, Slight Self-Deprecation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:08:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28593003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/egocentric
Summary: in which a family is broken up, only to realise that they will never mend.
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> april 1st.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I get started, this is nowhere near a proper fic! Chapters are super short, this is just self indulgent angst. Please heed the tags.

April 1st. 

Tachibana Izumi arrives home to the rest of her company gathered in the common area. 

" Is... something the matter? " She questions worriedly, as if her concern could help in the first place. 

Furuichi Sakyo speaks up without hesitating. 

" Utsuki hasn't come home, " He says, purple eyes flicking to each person in the room before they rest on Sakuma Sakuya. " It's been two days, he's uncontactable. Chigasaki hasn't seen him either. " 

Izumi's eyes flicker to Chikage's blond roommate. He isn't on his phone. He's looking down at the ground, arms crossed, face sullen. 

... Tachibana Izumi. 

Why is it you feel remorse for the man that clearly despised you? 

Pathetic, isn't it ? 

She opens her mouth. 

"... Let's go looking for him, then. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> april 9th.

April 9th.

Tsuzuru blows out the candles of his cake.

They're still missing their 6th member, he notices.

April 9th is the day they give up looking alone, and contact the authorities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :))


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> april 15th.

April 15th.

.... Today would've been his birthday. 

Had he been here. 

On his birthday, Utsuki Chikage is still reported missing. 

April 15th is the day Mikage Hisoka returns to the place April had kept Izumi during the kidnapping incident. 

He is not there. 

April 15th is the day Mikage Hisoka pushes everyone away from him, torn by the disappearance of yet another family member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> april 20th.

April 20th. 

Reports of a man with round glasses and green hair were seen towards the central city. 

They soon find out that it is not Utsuki Chikage. 

April 20th is the day of which they found nothing. 

Except false hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :))))


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> april 24th.

April 24th.

Itaru's birthday. 

It doesn't feel right. 

Nothing feels correct. 

It's the missing presence of a certain senpai, teasing him about how he was getting older. ( Which is totally wild, cause senpai's the older one here. ) 

April 24th is the day Tachibana Izumi receives a phone call. 

It's the head of police, the chief. 

Reports of a body matching the description of Utsuki Chikage are found. 

April 24th is Chigasaki Itaru's birthday. 

April 24th is also the day Utsuki Chikage was announced to be dead. 

A day that will haunt Itaru for presumably a long time. 

A very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	6. Chapter 6

Months pass by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-------


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> intermission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> repeat.

The months are long. 

Long months where the hole in everyone's hearts is irreparable. 

Unable to mend. 

To fix. 

To fill. 

The place that bore empty in their hearts was the place that belonged to Utsuki Chikage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> resume.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> december 1st.

December 1st.

Chigasaki heads to work. 

It still hurts. 

He can feel it. 

The tightness of his chest. 

The gloomy atmosphere in the office. 

The empty desk in front of him. 

A desk where usually, a certain green-haired man with circular glasses and that stupidly sly smile would sit. 

And he would work. 

And work. 

And work. 

And work. 

So Itaru works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hm.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for repetition in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> december 2nd.

December 2nd 

A normal day. 

Normal. 

Normal. 

Normal normal normal normal normal normal normal. 

Normal normal normal normal normal normal normal. Normal normal normal normal normal normal normal.Normal normal normal normal normal normal normal.Normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal nrmal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal normal--- 

So painfully normal. 

Someone bumps into him on the way home. 

Itaru drops his briefcase. 

He glances up---- A man in a hoodie. 

He mutters out his apologies and picks up the fallen case. 

He goes home. 

A ... normal day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> december 3rd.

December 3rd 

Mikage Hisoka's birthday. 

He doesn't come out of his room.  
Itaru takes the time to look at the other members. 

Spring ... the beautiful flowers have withered away, leaving only a husk and sense of what used to be. 

Itaru's not a perceptive person, but it doesn't take much to notice the puffy red eyes of Sakuma Sakuya. 

Summer isn't summer. Summer's become a cold, dark winter. 

The autumn breeze is different. It's hot. Ready to burn. 

And winter... winter has fallen apart. 

Winter has moulded into the others. 

Consuming them. 

Taking them over. 

Perhaps all is right this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> december 4th.

December 4th 

It happens again. The same hooded figure, the same bump sending Chigasaki Itaru to the floor. 

" Sorry-- " 

The figure speaks. 

And offers a hand. 

" Are you hurt ? " 

Itaru is not. 

He takes the hand. 

Stands up. 

Looks at the man. 

\---He's gone. 

And so quickly too. 

... And Chigasaki Itaru laughs. He falls onto his knees and grabs onto his stomach and laughs. He's hallucinating! He's finally fucking lost it, he realises. 

And he heads home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...... intermission.

A few more months pass by. 

The rest of December pass with no more encounters. 

No NPC's for Itaru to regain his stats. 

No special boosters. 

Just helpless old Chigasaki Itaru, the MC in his little useless gaming world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> repeat.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> january

January's boring. 

Everything seems to be boring without Chikage. 

He's probably the only one feeling this way. 

Selfish. 

Wanting him to come back. 

Stupid senpai. 

For someone so strong, you couldn't even protect yourself. 

Idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> february 18th.

February 18th 

\---- .... ??? 

?????????? 

\--- !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blurs.

That can't be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blurrsssssss

That can't fucking be----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> february 29th.

February 29th.

A leap year. It's a leap year. 

.... The day's long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> march 5th.

.... Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> march 7th.

I've found you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> march 9th.

March 9th 

Sakuma Sakuya's birthday. 

The others have admittedly cheered up a bit. 

Sakuya can't help but still be devastated. 

It's his birthday... ! 

But it doesn't feel like it. 

Everyone gathers around the table. He gives them a broken smile. They sing along with him. 

" H--- Happy b--b-birthdaay to mee... h--happy... birthd... a... y... " His voice fades out. 

Sakuma stares down at the cake in front of him blankly. 

Bright spring blossoms faded into little buds. 

It's been like this for a while, hasn't it ? 

Nearly a year. 

March 9th is the day Sakuya's birthday celebrations are interrupted by a knock at the door. 

It is the day he realises Chigasaki Itaru may have had it worse than him. 

... But it should be fixed now. 

Sakuya opens the door. 

And he falls to his knees. 

And he cries. 

Utsuki Chikage crouches down and pulls him into a hug, letting the younger cry into his chest. 

March 9th is the day Sakuma Sakuya receives the best birthday present he could ever gain. 

A family all together again.

And relief from the liars lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blooming.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bloomed.

April 15th 

Utsuki Chikage's birthday. 

The day Itaru finds something under his console. 

A note. 

" I've done too many wrongs. I cannot correct this. I'll disappear for a bit. They'll announce me dead. Accept it. 

I'll become a better person for all of you. 

I've finally found a place to call home. 

And I won't take that for granted. " 

Itaru smiles and tucks it into the pocket of his sweatpants. 

He only wishes he had found it sooner. 

Not like it was in an easy place to find. 

He realises in that moment that Utsuki Chikage was plagued by the mistakes he had committed.

The family he nearly tore apart.

That's wrong, isn't it... ?

You ended up tearing apart your family anyway.

But... it's alright now.

" Chigasaki, " Chikage knocks on the door before entering, gazing at the other through his glasses.

" Come on. We're going to the theatre. "

Chigasaki Itaru pauses his game.

And he leaves his room.

He had encountered an NPC that caused him to regain all of his stats back.

That NPC proved to become one of the main characters in the end.

Alongside him, Utsuki Chikage.

... Stupid senpai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's it. dunno if people are even gonna find this. leave a nice comment if you do!


End file.
